1945 Sugar Bowl

Last updated

1945 Sugar Bowl
1234Total
Alabama1270726
Duke767929
DateJanuary 1, 1945
Season 1944
Stadium Tulane Stadium
Location New Orleans, Louisiana
Referee J.D. Thomason (SEC;
split crew: SEC, Southern)
Attendance72,000 [1]
Sugar Bowl
 < 1944   1946 > 

The 1945 Sugar Bowl , part of the 1944 bowl game season, took place on January 1, 1945, at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana. The competing teams were the Alabama Crimson Tide, representing the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and the Duke Blue Devils, representing the Southern Conference (SoCon). Duke won the game 29–26. [2]

Contents

Teams

Alabama

The 1942 Alabama squad finished the regular season 5–1–2 with its loss coming to the Georgia Bulldogs and the two ties coming against the LSU Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers. With most of America's youth still serving in the armed forces, Frank Thomas scrambled to assemble a team in 1944. Finally he was able to fill out a roster, mostly composed of 17-year-old freshmen and students who had been rejected as unsuitable for military service. This team went down in Tide history as the "War Babies". [3] On November 25, the Crimson Tide was invited to compete in the Sugar Bowl, marking the first time that a school had competed in the four major bowls at that time (Rose, Cotton, Orange and Sugar Bowls). [4] The appearance marked the first for Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, and their eighth overall bowl appearance. [4]

Duke

Game summary

Scoring summary
QuarterTime Drive TeamScoring informationScore
Plays Yards TOP AlabamaDuke
112:3567 yards, 5 playsDukeGeorge Clark 14-yard touchdown run, Harold Raether kick good07
164 yards, 6 playsAlabamaNorwood Hodges 1-yard touchdown run, Hugh Morrow kick no good67
197 yards, 7 playsAlabamaNorwood Hodges 1-yard touchdown run, Hugh Morrow kick blocked127
280 yards, 6 playsAlabamaRalph Jones 12-yard touchdown reception from Harry Gilmer, Hugh Morrow kick good197
263 yards, 4 playsDukeTom Davis 2-yard touchdown run, Harold Raether kick no good1913
364 yards, 12 playsDukeTom Davis 1-yard touchdown run, Harold Raether kick good1920
4AlabamaInterception returned 78 yards for touchdown by Hugh Morrow, Hugh Morrow kick good2620
4DukeHarry Gilmer intentionally grounded the ball in endzone for a safety2622
440 yards, 2 playsDukeGeorge Clark 20-yard touchdown run, Harold Raether kick good2629
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.2629

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References

  1. National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). "Bowl/All-Star Game Records" (PDF). 2011 NCAA Division I Football Records. NCAA.org. p. 33. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
  2. "Duke ralley in final minutes beats fighting Tide in Sugar Bowl clash". The Tuscaloosa News. January 2, 1945. p. 7. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
  3. Scott, Richard. Legends of Alabama Football. Sports Publishing LLC, 2004, ISBN   978-1-58261-277-5, p. 12
  4. 1 2 Bassett, Norman (November 26, 1944). "Alabama will play Duke eleven in Sugar Bowl game New Years Day". The Tuscaloosa News. p. 6. Retrieved January 9, 2011.